The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for treating flowable materials, especially to improvements in apparatus for large-scale treatment of flowable solid materials including or constituting the ingredients of cement, mortar and other building materials.
It is known to assemble an apparatus for the treatment of flowable solid materials from a plurality of receptacles in the form of tanks, vessels or the like, and from a plurality of material treating components including mixers, metering units, dispensing units and others. It is also known to more or less permanently install various treating components in or on the receptacles and to separably couple the receptacles to each other at the locale of use. In many instances, the receptacles are specially designed vessels which are produced in small numbers at a considerable cost and must be transported to and from the maker or repairer and to and from storage in dismantled condition or in specially designed vehicles.
It is also known to assemble prefabricated modules into apparatus for the treatment of flowable materials. Reference may be had to German Pat. No. 30 27 069 and to German Offenlegungsschrift No. 34 24 752. These publications disclose modules wherein tubular section or lines can be separably coupled to each other. The majority of components resemble or constitute pipes having a circular cross-sectional outline. The just described apparatus are rather expensive so that they do not come into consideration for a number of applications.